Denial
by DestineyTot
Summary: Nick is convinced that he doesn't care. But with Ellis's blue eyes and warm smile, it's hard to stay so sure of himself. You can only trick yourself into thinking something for so long. Language, Sexual Content, Gore.
1. Strange Kid

**'Ello there, peeps! It's me, Destiney. Yeah, yeah...I have been neglecting my Naruto and Resident Evil stories, but I just can't help it. Left 4 Dead is my forte now! Well...its been my forte since November 2008, lol. BUT ANYWAYS! This was inspired out of nowhere. **

**Gawd, I love NickxEllis! The sheer cuteness of it...ooooooh...Just wanted to share that.**

_**Random: **__I was playing L4D2 today and I was Ellis. We was playing Swamp Fever on Advanced and we were running towards the boat, but the Tank cut Nick off from us, so I ACTUALLY went back into the plantation yard and killed the Tank, revived Nick, and limped our way outta there! Wow...my favoritism is so strong for him._

_**Chapter 1 - Strange Kid**_

He sheilded his face from the burning sun as he stared up at the helicopter flying away. The big, burly dark-skinned man beside him yelled and flailed his arms about, desperately trying to signal that there were still survivors in need of rescure. The dark-skinned, petite woman stood, shaking her head and muttering.

"This isn't happening...this isn't happening..." she shook her head back and forth, as if she would wake up from this nightmare and it'd all be over.

Standing on his other side was another guy - well, _kid_ - from his point of view. He was yelling at the helicopter, too, one hand up in the sky and the other sheilding his bright blue eyes from the sun.

His voice was thick with a southern accent. "Hey! HEY! Where they goin'? Ain't they s'posed to be savin' us?"

"Looks like there's been a change of plans." Nick muttered darkly. He had already given up on trying to signal the helicopter and turned to the table sitting beside the door they'd just came out of. 2 axes, 2 crowbars, and some pistols lay there. He picked two of the pistols up, checking to see if they were loaded. He smirked at them. Full clips. "Grab a weapon." he instructed the other 3, whom of which he didn't know their names. "I have a feeling something's gonna be waiting on us down there."

He leaned against the side of the building, absent-mindedly fooling with his pistols. Been a long time since he was allowed to hold a gun. He considered whether or not he should tell them that...

He decided what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

The guy - the kid - picked up one of the axes, his blue eyes shining like he had just walked into a candy shop. It took Nick a while before he realized he was staring at him. He dismissed it, scowling. What an odd kid...

The dark-skinned man opened the door up and began walking down stairs. "Now y'all, let's stay close. Might not know what's waitin' on us down there."

Nick didn't really pay any attention to him. He had already decided that he'd bolt for the first exit he could find once they escaped this building.

They all walked downstairs. The kid with the thick accent opened the door into the hallway. His eyes widened as they all stared down the hallway. "Ho-lee shit...zombies are real! I knew 'em movies wern't fake!"

He resisted groaning at the kid. Defintely and odd guy. He turned his attention to one of the now alerted zombies making its way to them. He shot it square between the eyes without even thinking. The three of them turned and stared at him, each face showing a different emotion. The girl's was amazement, the man's was disapproving, and the kid's? His was one of wonder, like he'd just seen the coolest thing ever.

"What the hell are you staring at?" Nick finally bark out. He didn't like it when people stared at him - it was a pet peeve. "Well?"

"Nothing..." he heard the man mutter. He aimed his pistol down the hallway and let loose on the stray zombies standing there.

'Didn't fucking think so...' Nick thought to himself, annoyed. The next room he walked into had a display on it, a big, _inviting _CEDA sticker slapped onto the corner of the poster. Curiously, Nick dispatched what zombies were in the room and approached the display.

It was a map of the country, and red x's dotted the entire eastern border. New Orleans was circled with a red sharpie and an arrow pointing out into the Guf of Mexico. Which could only mean that it was the only evac left standing. Fucking great.

He heard a slobbering growl and turned just in time for gore to splatter all over his white suit. The kid stood there, holding his bloody axe and a decapitated body lie at his feet. Smiling.

Nick stepped away from the body and cursed at his suit. "Nice. Really fucking _nice_, kid. You realize you just fucking ruined my $3000 suit, right?"

The kid's smile faltered, and he murmured apologetically. "Sorry, mister. Jus' din't want that thing to get ya."

"Yeah, well, sorry doesn't replace my suit." Nick really didn't realize why he was complaining. His suit already had dirt and what-not on it before they'd come down stairs. It was already ruined.

The kid tipped his hat and walked timidly away, obviously afraid to try and apologize anymore. Nick watched him rejoin the other two while he scanned the table. A bottle containing a thick, vicious green fluid sat on the end of it. He picked it up. 'There's no way that's...puke? Okay, that's fucking gross...' He was strongly tempted to put it back down, but for some reason, he strapped the bottle onto his belt. He really didn't know why...intuition, maybe?

"Hey y'all," the big man called to all of them. "Stairs are out, so we'll have to take the elevator." He turned his attention to Nick, who was still staring at all the papers on the table. "Whatchu lookin' at, man?"

Nick looked up from the table, emerald meeting chocolate. "Every evac around here is pretty much burned to the ground. According to this map, New Orleans is pretty much the only place left standing. "Not that Nick cared. He wasn't planning on going there anway.

"New Orleans? No way we're going all the way there. That's just...too far away." The woman piped in, walking closer. "Isn't there anywhere else?"

Nick shook his head, then started heading for the door. "Let's just hurry up and get the hell outta here. I can't stand to be in this hotel a minute longer."

The four of them piled into the elevator and Nick pressed the ground floor button. He leaned against the wall, sighing. "Technically, you're not supposed to use an elevator during a fire." Then he added with cynical humor. "But I don't think that applies during a _zombie apocalypse_." The 3 of them just stared quietly at the floor, or perhaps the wall. He realized that he kept reffering to them as _they _and _the kid_ and _the man_, so he figured it was about time they learned each other's names. "You guys got names?"

"My friends call me Coach." the big, burly man said first. Then Nick understood the initials on his shirt, "FHS". He was a high school coach. "Guess y'all can do the same."

"My name's Rochelle. You?" Nick turned toward the dark-skinned woman, sporting a charming smile.

"Nick."

The kid was the last to speak, and he stepped up with a sparkling smile. "My name's Ellis. But you can call me El...or Ellis seein' as El sorta sounds like a girl's name...you can call me El if you want." he finished awkwardly.

Nick supressed the urge to laugh at him, but a small one escaped him. It didn't go unnoticed.

Rochelle shot an unintelligible look at him, them smiled warmly at Ellis. "I think I'll just call you Ellis, sweety."

Ellis blushed slightly, a warm pink touching his cheeks. But he still smiled, obviously not bashed. Nick, for some unfathomable reason, found that unnerving. What, was this kid shitting rainbows or something?

The elevator came to a stop and the room began to become hazy with smoke. Nick coughed into his arm. "Goddamn, it's hard to breathe in here...someone pry open the damn door."

Ellis, as if on cue, walked forward and stuck the thin edge of his axe in the door and pried the shutters open. "Woah, guys...I think I feel safer in the elevator..." he said, staring out into the flames that had once been the hallway.

"No fucking way we're staying here." Nick shoved past the kid, not caring that he pushed him, and to his delite, found a silenced uzi sitting in the floor. He picked it up, and like the pistols, it had a full cartridge in it.

Of course, being Nick, his delite didn't last long. A loud, furious roar echoed through the burning hotel and a mob of bloody limbs and faces came screaming at them. He turned with his uzi and emptied cartridge by cartridge in them, lead flying everywhere. Half of them didn't need to be shot at, seeing as they ran mindlessly into the fire, burning themselves into a crisp. But the ones in the hazmat suits just ran right through the fire, unscathed.

He let his finger off the trigger, after dispatching the last zombie in sight. The end of his uzi smoked from continuious use. He turned to look behind him, observing his teammates. All of them seemed unscathed, save for Coach's bandaged arm. He had learned the hard way not to open random, smoking doors. He'd nearly been engulfed in flames if not Rochelle had yanked him out of the way. Luckily, all that was caught on him was his arm.

"Wow, man, I ain't NEVER seen so many zombies at once like that. I thought they were s'posed to come at ya, like, one at a time or somethin'..." Ellis broke the silence. "I mean, I thought they were s'posed to be all slow and stuff, not runnin' like a 100 miles per hour or anythin'. Seriously, that was really-"

"Hey, kiddo? Please shut up. My head is killing me already." Nick said rubbing his temples.

"Okay."

That was yet another surprise to Nick about Ellis. Such straightforward obedience. He couldn't understand how this kid could lie down and do whatever somone told him to. And not only that, he was _grudgeless_. Nothing bothered the kid for any amount of time. Nick had insulted him about a hundred times before they'd even entered the elevator, and yet the kid still looked and spoke to Nick like he was authority.

So unnerving. But so interesting.

A slimy tongue wrapped around Nick's torso as he was literally dragged from his thoughts. He turned enough to see a tall figure standing behind the flames, the long tongue ascending from its mouth. And Nick nearly shit himself whenever he saw that his body was about to be dragged through the fire.

"Hey, Nick!" "What the hell is that thing?" "Is that a tongue?"

Three voices chimed together. The smoke was heavy and hazy and it was too risky for them to shoot blindly around Nick. Ellis was the only one who didn't have a gun, so he charged after Nick with his axe instead. He stomped down on the tongue, halting its dragging and chopped it off Nick. Then he rushed toward's the smoking figure and sliced right down through its middle, making it explode in a cloud of dirty, green smoke. Nick lay on the carpet of the floor coughing, whenever a hand was extended toward him. He looked up at it cautiously.

"Need some help, there?" It was Ellis, looking down on Nick with warm eyes and a small, inviting smile. Nick stared dumbfounded at the kid's enthusiasm and his eyes. Yet again. Grudgeless, all smiles, and obedience.

Nick finally closed his eyes and scoffed, low. He helped himself to his feet, batting Ellis's hand away. "I'm fine. Thanks."

Ellis retracted his hand and held it behind his back shyly. The smile disappeared, but he was blushing slightly. Nick snuck a glance at him, staring for just a bit. He looked away and resisted smirking. The kid was actually kinda cute...

...No way in hell he just fucking said that.

**Haha, well now...that was the first chappie guys! Hope you liked it!**

**Yes, this is a chapter story...I'm tired of one-shots and I'm tired of finding hardly anything BUT NxE one-shots on here, so imma try and make this a full-blown story.**

**I'm loving NickxEllis so much! Imma try and keep them as in-character as possible! That meaning Nick isn't all lovey-dovey and Ellis isn't all straight-forward about his 'love' for Nick, like I've been seeing in some of the fics. Well, y'know what to do...**

**R&R please! 333**


	2. Breakdown

**!Hola hermanos ye hermanas! (Hello brothers and sisters!)**

**Lol, don't even think I'm Spanish. I barely know any, since I've only taken Spanish 1. **

**Here's the second chappie! YAY!**

_**Random**_: _You ever notice whenever Rochelle and Coach dies in the game, Nick will say to Ellis, "Hey Ellis, y'know all that shit I was saying? I was only joking." Or something similar to that. EEEEEeee! I just love it! It's like he'll only say that to Ellis when they're alone! ^.^_

_**Chapter 2 - Breakdown**_

"Where's this goddamn gun-shop of yours, _overalls_?" Nick called out to him, Ellis's new nickname evident

It didn't bother him in the least. Ellis was turned away from the others, so none of them didn't see him smile at Nick's nickname for him. It wasn't like it was supposed to be affectionate or anything, but there was something oddly pleasing that Nick acknowledged him enough to even give him one.

Ellis turned, sporting his best smile. "Jus' a lil' but further down the road. We won't miss it, I promise."

They had turn to taking shortcuts through buildings and overpasses since most of the road was blocked off with baricades. They had just came from a small overpass where they'd encountered their first Charger. All of them had quickly learned to duck out of the way once the thing came charging at them. Unfortunately, Ellis was caught dead-on and carried about 10 meters away before promptly being smashed into the ground a couple of times.

Coach had been sure that he'd dislocated his shoulder. but Ellis had shaken it off with a smile and a laugh while Rochelle patched him up. Of course, the already blue, and patchy bruises had said otherwise.

They crossed a walkway then trudged down some stairs before coming to the back of the gun-store. The big, white sign hung, reading "Whitaker's Gun Shop".

Ellis opened the door and his eyes lit up. The whole front shelf was covered in a paraphernilia of fire-power. Combat shotguns, rifles, M-16's, AK-47's...you name it and this shop had it. Ellis walked up to the shelf and pulled an M-16 off.

"Man, I've wanted this rifle since I was 8..." he looked it over with appreciation.

Nick yanked a Combat Rifle off the shelf. He merely strapped it onto his back and he waltzed over to a box where 4 health packs lay convieniently. He picked one up and strapped it onto his back along with the gun. "Like you have half the sense to shoot that gun."

Ellis turned towards Nick, unsmiling. But his tone was hushed. "Why ya gotta be such a dick towards me, Nick?"

The sound of glass shattering was heard as Nick smashed the display glass in, reaching for the Desert Eagle laying behind it. He practiced aiming the bulky handgun at one of the target posters. "Because that's what I am, kid. Take it or leave it." He walked over to a box of laser sights and attached one to his rifle.

Ellis followed suit while Coach and Rochelle talked to Whitaker through a small speaker. "You ever think 'bout bein' nice?"

Nick stopped in the middle of what he was doing and looked up only to smirk cynically at Ellis. "And why would I wanna do that?"

Ellis pretended to busy himself with his laser sight, not wanting to meet Nick's eyes. "'Cuz maybe ya wanna make some friends for once."

Nick actually laughed at this. "Sorry kid," he said, laughing shakily. "but unlike what you think, it's a dog-eat-dog world and trust me, where I come from, friend's are nothing but a distraction."

This annoyed Ellis. He pursed his lips uneasily, halting in everything he was doing. He merely stared silently at the box of laser sights before replying quietly, "Well, ya not there anymore, ya here."

Nick readjusted his gun strap and sighd at the Ellis's stubborness. "Whatever, overalls. Too fucking tired to argue with you."

Ellis realized that he wasn't gonna get anything more from Nick, so he retrieved a health pack from where Nick got his and waited while Whitaker opened the door.

"Okay, everyone...all we gotta do is walk on over to the store, get the man his cola, and he's gonna blow the barricade up for us."

Nick looked at Coach, dumbfounded. "Why the hell are we doing that? Why don't we just climb over the barricade?"

"Nick, you realize there's a tanker and a giant wall seperating us from the mall. How are we supposed to climb over that?" Rochelle interceded, obviously siding with Coach.

Nick opened his mouth to protest, but then shut it realizing it was useless arguing with them.

Ellis watched him as he scowled in frustration. Then he turned to Coach and Rochelle. "I think it'd be a better idea to climb over it, too. So that way, we don't hafta set that alarm off."

Nick almost choked on his breath as Ellis spoke up and Coach and Rochelle stared at him in amazement. Or possible stupidity. Either one.

"Boy, you sidin' with Nick?" Coach asked skeptically.

"Yeah, I guess. It kinda makes sense if ya ask me." Ellis said, turning to Nick. Nick was quick to regain his posture and returned an emotionless look to Ellis.

"Huh...I swear, son, you're confusin' as hell. If that asshole talked down to me the way he did you, I wouldn't side with him on anythin'. Hell, I wouldn't even talk to 'em." Coach said almost directly to Nick.

Nick merely shrugged, not letting Coach get to him.

They all walked outside, and eyed the barricade. Ellis searched it from end to end to see if there was an accessible point over it, but to no avail. It was a sealed passage.

"Sorry, Ellis. I think we're just going to have to do what Whitaker says." Rochelle said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Ellis sighed in disappointed then turned to Nick. "Sorry, man. No way over."

Nick stood, fooling with one of the rings on his fingers. "It's nothing, overalls. Don't mind it."

Ellis's face lit up with Nick's words and he quickly turned to Coach. "So, how's about we go get that cola and get the hell outta here?"

"That's what I've been wantin' to do all along, son." Coach retorted matter-of-factly.

The horde swarmed in on them, nipping at the back of their heels while Ellis ran with the six-pack of coke cradled in his arms. It was pure hell trying to get out of the store with the infected blocking the door. But out here? They had jumped out of the frying pan into the fire.

A high-pitched scream was heard and Nick turned to watch behind him. A hooded figure had jumped ahead of the crowd and was crawling on all fours. Nick took his combat rifle off his back and aimed at it. As he went to pull the trigger, the hooded figure leapt gracefully out of the way. He shot again and it jumped to the nearest wall, using its momentum to spring off the side and in front of Nick.

Nick cursed under his breath. "Shit...what the hell is that thing?" He went to shoot at it again, right before he felt his heart sink into his stomach. He realized what it was after.

Ellis who was about 20 feet ahead of the rest of the group, shoulder and arm wrapped in gauz and not a gun but cola in his hands. Such an easy target.

"Ellis!" Nick tried yelling out to him. But his voice was drowned out by the horde and blare of the guns. "Ellis!" He yelled again in a futile attempt.

Ellis was just about to make a turn to run up the stairs with the coke whenever the hooded figure pounced him. The cola fell from his hands and landed on the concrete. One of the bottles slipped out and busted.

The hooded figure began clawing at him, its black and dirty nails digging into whatever surface it could find on Ellis. Ellis had a hold of its wrists, despreately trying to fend it off, but it was stronger. It roughly pushed Ellis's arms back, causing him to yell out in raw pain from his shoulder. Then it clawed him across the chest.

And Nick saw Ellis's blood spray across the cement.

Nick ran full force up to the Hunter and pushed him off, stunning him. He brought out his magnum and stuck the barrel under then Hunter's chin. Nick pulled the trigger and it's brain matter splattered across the wall.

It's body landed with an empty thud, and Nick, satisfyed, leaned over Ellis. He turned the mechanic over, seeing that his chest was shredded by the Hunter. Blood dribbled weakly from his lips.

"Ellis! Hey, kid, are you okay?" Nick asked urgently. He went to start examining Ellis's wounds whenever a bloody hand gripped his. Ellis's.

"Get the coke to Whitaker..." he wretched out weakly. "Turn the alarm off..."

He limply let go out Nick's hand and fell back unconcious on the concrete ground. Nick stared hesitantly a him, wondering if he should leave him or not. He turned back to the 6-pack, now a 5-pack of coke and grabbed it, rushing it up the stairs.

A slot opened at a door and Whitaker was heard. "Put the cola in the slot!"

Nick complied glaring hard at the soft drinks. "You sick fuck. Better be fucking happy. Ellis is about to die because of you."

Whitaker didn't reply as the store alarm shut off and a missle destroyed the tanker and barricade. But he did speak up afterwards. "Good luck to ya, now."

Nick, clenched his teeth in intense irritation. "Fuck you." He rushed back down stairs to Rochelle and Coach who were now leaning over Ellis. Nick went to open his mouth to talk whenever Rochelle stood up and smacked him across the face. Nick recoiled away from her, then glared hard. "What the fuck was that for?"

"For ELLIS!" she screamed at him. "He's probably gonna die now!"

Nick flailed his arms out. "WHAT the hell did I do?"

"You LEFT him! That's what!" She raised her hand back, like she wanted to smack him again, but then lowered it.

"What the hell made you do that, Nick?" Coach asked, calmer than Rochelle, but still pissed.

"He told me to take the coke to the crazy fuck up there so he'd turn the alarm off! HE told me to go on!" It annoyed Nick that the both of them were jumping him. But most of his anger came from Ellis's condition. He couldn't help but feel like the entire thing was his fault.

"And you listened! FOR ONCE! You never listened before, so why did you listen now! Ellis is probably gonna die, you asshole...and you don't even care!" Rochelle stepped forward, weakly. She sniffled a little, then went on. "Probably gonna die...there's no way he could've survived that...going to die..." she weakly set her hand against Nick's chest and beat on his shoulder. Then she gave up and started sobbing. Nick hesitantly put an arm around her.

Coach peeled Ellis's bloody shirt of him and set it aside. After a few minutes of examining him, he motioned for Nick to help him. "He ain't gonna do any better out here. Let's get him somewhere safer."

Rochelle stepped away from Nick, and together, he and Coach carried Ellis to one of the nearby CEDA tents in the mall's parking lot. They laid Ellis gently on one of the cots.

"We gonna need some water to clean this blood off him. Rochelle, you come help me look for some water. Nick, you stay here and take care of Ellis." Coach ordered them. Rochelle and Nick both looked as if they wanted to protest, but then backed down.

Coach and Rochelle left the tent and Nick was alone with Ellis. He saw Ellis's health pack sitting on the table and went to reach for it...but then stopped short. He took his own health pack off, deciding that it was wrong to take Ellis's.

He took some gauze and disinfectant from the kit and laid them out before himself. But before he could pick them up, he found his head in his hands, hunkered down. His body shook with the threat of crying and felt the breakdown coming. But he was Nick, he was a con man, he was a swinger, he was a _gambler_...and he wasn't going to cry. He sucked in a shaky breath and muttered weakly to himself. "Get yourself together, you're...falling apart."

He gazed over Ellis's body, seeing where the Hunter's claws had got him. He couldn't sworn the kid wasn't breathing. An his skin...was so pale and chilly. He rested his head on his arm, knowing full and well that he wasn't going to thwart the on-coming breakdown.

Then he felt something lace its way into his right rand.

**HA-HA! Cliffhanger, baby! Yeah! You know you gotta love those things, but at the same time hate them.**

**LOL, watching "The Hangover" right now. Bradley Cooper looks EXACTLY LIKE Nick! It's crazy! Gawd...now I get why Phil was my favorite character in "The Hangover".**

**Go look him up! And see for youself! Don't forget to R&R too! 3333**


	3. Guilt and Orientation

**WOOT! I'm back! Lol, I'm watching MANswers while writing this...just wanted to share that with you guys. You know what its time for...RANDOM NICKxELLIS FACT/ADVENTURE!**

_**Random: **__Did you know that if Nick dies in the game (this is proven and are exact words from the L4D Wikia) Ellis will expirience "trauma" and will go through a period where he does not talk, even when being attacked by the special infected. He will resume talking whenever Nick has been revived with the defib or rescued from a closet. (now my own words) AIN'T THAT THE SHIT, GUYZ? MORE __**PROOF!**_

_**Chapter 3 - Guilt and Orientation**_

Nick jerked his head up from his arm, gasping. Fingers laced into his, Ellis shifted a little in the bed. His eyes were still closed and he whispered weakly. "Guys...? Where are you..."

"Ellis," Nick wrentched out, struggling to form coherent words. "I'm right here. Are you okay?"

"Nick?" The mechanic turned a little on his side, eyes barely fluttering open. "Wow, man...what happened? I feel like shit..."

"You look like shit." Nick resisted the urge to laugh, knowing it wasn't the time or place. But the relief was bubbling up in him and it was hard to contain. So instead, he let out a shaky sigh. "Whatever the hell that thing was got you good."

"Yeah," Ellis laughed half-heartedly. "Sorta came outta nowhere. Din't know what the hell hit me." His eyes were open now and looking at Nick. Then, his blue eyes traveled down to their hands and he instantly blushed. "Oh, sorry..."

Nick looked down. He hadn't realized he was squeezing Ellis's hand. He quickly pulled away. "It's...nothing." He backed away from the cot and sat down in one of the folding metal chairs in the tent, crossing his arms. "Goddamn, goddamn, _goddamnit_..." Nick cursed over and over again. He shook his head slowly.

"What's wrong?" Ellis asked quietly. He tried raising up on the cot, but instantly found that he was unable to. He collapsed back down on the bed.

"Don't fucking try to get up, you goddamn hick." Nick said, the severity of his voice intimidating Ellis. He did as he was told and stopped fidgeting around the cot. "And nothing's wrong." He turned to stare out of the tent.

It had been a long day and the sun was starting to set behind the low-lying building. It cast out a deep orange haze across the buildings and parking lot. Nick continued staring outside until the top of the sky started turning dark.

"Coach and Rochelle ain't here." It was a question, he already knew.

"They're out looking for water and food probably." Nick muttered lowly.

"Because of me, most likely." Ellis murmured, his voice full of guilt.

Nick's reply didn't help one bit. "Yeah." It was all he said and obviously he didn't feel like conversing with the hick right now. He drew a breath in through his teeth, making a hissing sound, then exhaled in a big gust. Ellis didn't urge the conversation on, to his luck, and quickly turned over, facing away from Nick.

He couldn't understand why he'd been so fucking worried, why he had started falling apart. He had barely known the kid since this afternoon. He couldn't understand why the thought of losing him made him break like that. There was people that he'd known all his life he wouldn't give two shits for if they died right in front of him. But the kid...Ellis...

Goddamn, he wanted a cigarette right now. His lungs ached for the nicotine and he could swear he tasted it in his mouth.

He hated when it got like this, quiet and lonesome. It gave him time to think. And when he had time to think, he found himself mulling over the issues in his life, like where he'd go next or what his ex-wife was doing...And he didn't need that happening. He was a gambler, a risk-taker. He wasn't the type to sit and think about what he's gonna do. He'd always thought life was too fast to miss up on and you gotta try and catch every moment you can.

"I'm sorry..."

Nick had tipped himself back in his chair and almost fell out of it whenever he heard Ellis speak. His voice was quiet, sad, guilty, and _lonely_...

"Excuse me?" Nick found himself asking. Why the hell was he apologizing? For all Nick knew, _he_ should've been the one apologizing. He was the asshole, the dick, the pessimist, the one everyone disliked...

"I'm sorry, y'know...for runnin' ahead like that and stuff. I coulda got you guys hurt pretty bad or even worse. It was stupid, y'know. Real stupid."

"Why are you fucking apologizing? Goddamn, you really are stupid, kid." Ellis flinched. "So you ran a little bit ahead, whoop-dee-doo. Big deal. Whatever. It's nothing to fucking spill your guts out over."

Ellis remained quiet for a few minutes, but his lips pulled up in the corners, trying to form a smile. He didn't know why he wanted to smile. He just did. He turned over, wanting to thank Nick, but then hissed in pain as the movement pulled at his cuts and injured shoulder. "Owww, ow, ow...damnit, this hurts like hell..."

Nick stood up from his chair and walked lazily over to Ellis's bed. He grabbed the supplies he'd laid out earlier, helping Ellis sit up on the cot. "Guess I might as well do this myself since it doesn't seem Coach and Rochelle aren'r coming back anytime soon." He started spraying the disinfectant on the claw wounds.

Even though his heart was racing from Nick's mere touch, he still retorted against Nick's remark. "Don't say that, man. They're probably gonna be here in a few minutes."

"Hah." Nick snorted, putting the disinfectant away. "Highly doubt it. Their probably dead in a gutter somewhere." He went to grab the mechanic's arm, but found that Ellis had jerked it away from him. "Oh, now what?"

"Dontchu even say that Nick! They're fine! They're probably jus'...maybe they..." Ellis struggled for a believeable explanation for their delay, but failed. He stared emotionessly down at the bed sheets, hands trembling.

Nick rolled his eyes and snatched Ellis's arm back. "I was _kidding_, kid. Can you take a joke?"

Ellis glared hard at Nick, but didn't jerk his arm away this time. "That ain't no joke Nick. That's jus'...depressin'."

Nick couldn't protest what he said. He really never was the type of guy for comedy. His whole life was pretty much one biy dramatic play. It was like Romeo and Juliet, only Juliet gets her ass handed to her and Romeo walks away, laughing insanely...

Wait, what the hell did he just say?

"Whatever kid." He finished wrapping Ellis's arm, and cut the gauze, making sure the wrapping was tight, but not too tight. He began to undo the old bandages wrapped around his shoulder, discarding them. He brought out a new roll of gauze and began rewrapping it.

Ellis kept quiet, mainly focusing on his and Nick's breathing. It was completely dark outside and only a still-running street-light offered some light into the dark tent. He tried his best to ignore the small and faint brushes Nick's fingers made against his skin, but couldn't tear his mind away from the sensation. Without realizing it, he closed his eyes, sighing contently.

Nick pretended he didn't notice it. Or maybe he just didn't want to notice it. He tried his best to dispel it, but eventually the question bubbled to his lips.

"Hey, overalls..." Ellis looked up at him, waiting. "How do you, uh..._roll_?"

Ellis felt his mouth go agape. He stared dumbly at Nick who just slowly continued to mummify him. Eventually, he saw Nick grow edgy and decided to answer innocently. "Whatchu mean, Nick?"

Nick groaned. "My god, do I have to ask the question directly?" He surprised himself at how straightforward and casual he sounded now. "Your _orientation_?"

"Uh, I...w-why are you askin' me that? I kinda think that's my own bus'ness...?" Ellis had never been a blunt or completely serious person, so when he spoke, it came out sounding unsure. He knew that Nick knew this.

"Just wondering, kid." Nick convinced himself to look up from his handywork and smirked at the mechanic. "Why are you freaking the fuck out?"

"I'm not freakin' out! That jus' took me by surprise!" Ellis yelled at him.

Nick couldn't supress the grin that spread across his face. A laughed a little. "Oh, so you are a faggot, right?" He laughed again, this time louder.

"I-I'm not!" Ellis protested, but his face was lit up with a bright blush and his blue eyes showed frustration. He turned away and scowled, mutturing. "Stop laughin' Nick. You're bein' an asshole."

Nick tried to stiffle his laughing, and he laid a hand on Ellis's good shoulder. "S'Okay, kid. I'm not judging you. We've all been there once or twice."

Ellis's eyes widened. "...You?"

Nick finished his laughing and sat back in his chair, letting out an exhausted breath. "Sure, why not. I won't deny I've done a little something here and there."

Ellis pursed his lips in deep thought. If Nick had done that...then what did that mean for him? Wait, what the hell was he talking about? Him and Nick? He had to be shitting himself. That was a LONG shot. Nick was a con man, a gamblin' man, someone who dressed fancy and got around. Ellis was just a southerner who spent everyday of his life hanging with Keith, Dave, and Paul and working on cars.

There was no way it could ever work out. Ellis, lowered his eyes, saddened by his revelation, then turned over to lay down.

"Yeah, might as well get some sleep. Coach and Rochelle might be back in the morning. If not, we'll look for them tomorrow. I bet they're in the mall already, anyway." Nick mused to himself.

Ellis curled up on his side and hugged his pillow to his head. It was the way he always slept, since he could remember. The cool night air blew into the tent and he felt it lluring him into sleep. He wasn't fighting it.

But his eyes shot open when he felt an arm snake around his waist. He hadn't even felt the bed shift, but now Nick was lying next to him.

"Nick, what're ya...-"

"Ah, shut up. Don't fucking complain, I know you're loving this. So just shut the fuck up and go to sleep already." He felt the con man rest his head on Ellis's good shoulder and the room fell quiet.

It wasn't long until he fell into a comfortable sleep.

**Aiyiyiyi! FLUFF! I'm loving this more and more. **

**I was squealing whenever I was typing this. Just the thought of Nick 'casually' putting his arm around Ellis and resting his head on his shoulder like a couple...SQUEEE!**

**Y'know the drill everyone...R&R!**


	4. Lusting

**Well...not many reviews, actually hardly any, but Imma keep on writing cuz at least I'M liking this fic. It's stormin' super bad outside, so I hope the power don't go out or anything and I lose all my typing...I WOULD DEVELOP ROID RAGE IF THAT HAPPENS!**

_**Random: **__Many people argue that Nick belongs with Rochelle, seeing as she's the only other L4D woman in the series and Ellis belongs with Zoey. But if you ACTUALLY PAID ATTENTION, Ellis and Zoey went seperate ways meaning that their relationship is impropable. And Rochelle openly said that she would die before she loved Nick and anyway...SHE'S IN LOVE WITH FRANCIS! So the only other obvious pairing left is NickxEllis! HAHA! IN YOUR FACE ANTI-NICKxELLIS RETARDS! xP_

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The first rays of sunlight peeked through the CEDA tent. Ellis, who still felt the weight of Nick's arm around his waist, groaned slightly, both at the fact that it was already morning and his wounds hurt like hell. He made no move to get up, just merely laid there, enjoying the moment of quiet peace. He heard the birds start with their song outside and wondered how the morning could still be so beautiful despite the fact that the world had gone to hell.

He felt Nick's breath on his neck and tensed up, realizing just how close he and the conman were. He hadn't realized that his breathing had become shallow and that familiar heat had met his cheeks.

Mutturing an intelligble curse to himself, he tried to dislodge himself from the conman, first trying to roll away. But as he was inching towards the edge of the cot, Nick snaked his arm about his waist and pulled him back.

"Gah..." Ellis gasped as Nick repositioned themselves the same way that they were. "N-Nick, buddy...I kinda need to get up here..." he said, a mix of embarrassment and shyness.

Even though Nick's eyes were still closed, his eyebrows furrowed in frustration. "C'mon, overalls...a few more minutes."

"S-Sure, sure, but I need to get up and use the damn bathroom." Ellis went to make another move to leave, but Nick grabbed his arm and yanked him back down, earning a painful hiss from Ellis. He was reminded of yesterdays wounds.

Nick's eyes were open now and he whispred seductivly to Ellis. "Now what would be the fun in that?"

Ellis's breath hitched in his throat at the sound of the gambler's voice. All of a sudden, the tent felt hot and cluttered and he began to sweat. "Whaddiya mean...?"

He gasped slightly when he felt his lips against his neck. "You know what I mean..."

"Aah-ah...I don't..." he tried to protest again, but the consistent movement of Nick's lips on his neck distracted him. "This ain't right..."

Nick's lips were now making their way up the mechanic's jaw-line. "Who's saying that? I thought you were the faggot here..."

The use of that derogatory term almost made Ellis glare at the conman, but it was hard to be angry with him whenever he was recieving the treatment Nick was giving him. He felt himself involuntarily tilting his head toward Nick for the kiss, his eyes already fluttering shut.

The conman smirked, obviously having full-control over the kid. He realized just how easy of a fuck Ellis could be and the urge to take advantage of him was overwhelming. He licked his lips then leaned in and placed and open-mouth kiss on the kid.

Obviously, Ellis hadn't been expecting him to be that bold and gasped in quiet surprise. Nick took advantage of his open mouth and thrust his tongue inside, teasing and provoking Ellis to play along.

Before he knew it, the mechanic was turning towards him and he found a pair of tan, well-toned arms wrapped around his torso.

Fine then, Nick thought to himself. He slipped his right hand behind Ellis's head and fisted a handful of the brunette locks, securing their kiss furthermore. He slanted his mouth slightly more, shoving his tongue deeper into his mouth. He heard a low moan escape from the mechanic and resisted smirking against his lips.

But the kiss couldn't last forever and they soon found themselves parted, gasping for breath. Ellis's face was flushed from embarrassment and he distracted himself with something inside the tent to avoid looking at Nick. Soon he found himself pulling away and getting up from the cot.

His Bullshifters shirt lay on the table beside the bed, crusted in blood and gore. He scowled at it, picking it up off the table and trying to staighten out what used to be his favorite shirt.

"Listen, kid..." he heard Nick murmur from across the tent. He was straightening out his already dirty suit, pulling at the hem and repositioning the shoulder blades. "This stays between you and me, hear?"

Ellis nodded, serious. He couldn't help the way he felt right now. He felt like he'd just commited a murder, like he'd just said the wrong line in a school play, like he'd been caught with his hand down his pants...

Which promptly would've been someone else's hand if he hadn't pulled away like he did.

"Okay." he said simply. He wanted to try and refrain talking from Nick. Everything felt so...awkward now.

The conman picked up his Rifle and magnum and began heading for the tents exit. Ellis hesitantly picked up his gun and axe and followed behind him slowly, a visible limp showing.

"You okay there, killer?" Nick questioned, studying the way he hobbled behind him.

"I'm..." Ellis hissed in slight painas he tried walking faster. "...fine. Don't worry 'bout me."

Before he could do anything, Nick's arm was wrapped around his shoulders and the conman was helping him limp along. Ellis stared quietly at him.

"What, now? You mad cause I kissed you or what? Cause you really didn't seem to have a problem with it, as I recall." Nick said bluntly. He smiled, thinking back how the kid was so eager and was practically throwing himself on him.

"No!" Ellis quickly shot back. "I'm fine, like I said!" He looked away, glaring hard at the closely-approaching mall. After a few minutes of silence, he finally sighed and gace up. "Listen...I know I'm bein' an ass right now. I'm sorry 'bout that, Nick, it's jus'...ah, well...its nothin' really. Jus' me bein' grumpy for nothin'." Of course that was a lie, but it sounded awfully convincing to Ellis.

"I'd say, asshole. I didn't know we switched roles here. What happened to being the happy-go-lucky kid you were? Now I'm the one trying to cheer you up."

"Like I said, it ain't nothin'." Ellis repeated again. Then it hit him. "Oh shit...Coach and Rochelle never came back, din't they?"

"Nope." Nick said, making a stressed sound on the 'p' sound. "They're probably in the mall or something. I'm pretty sure they're okay." They were now at the red, safe-room door and Nick was helping Ellis hobble inside. He shut the door then barred it shut after they were in. Ellis sat on the floor against the wall, while Nick walked up to a table containing ammo, water, 2 candy-bars, and a note.

He picked up the note, eyes scanning over it quickly.

_Nick and Ellis,_

_Coach and I went on ahead int he mall. We think that maybe the evac station is furhter back in. Also, we hope that Ellis is okay and if he is, tell him that Coach and I are sorry we didn't come back. We found a little food and water. We left some for you. We'll meet you guys in the Atrium later on._

_Love Rochelle and Coach_

Nick crumpled the piece of paper up and shoved it aside. He grabbed the water bottles and 2 candy-bars then took a seat next to Ellis on the floor. He held out the two candy-bars the him.

"Milky-Way or Butterfinger?" he said, motioning for Ellis to pick. Ellis quickly picked up the Butterfinger and tore the yellow wrapping off it. He nearly ate half the candy-bar in one bite, chewing then quickly swallowing. Nick stared at him strangely while he was still trying to open his candy-bar up. He finally did and broke off a small piece of it, quickly depositing it in his mouth.

Ellis turned and saw that he was staring at him. "What?" he said, his breath smelling of sweet chocolate and peanut-butter.

Nick shook his head, taking another bite of his candy-bar. "Nothing. Here, something to wash it down with." He handed the mechanic a water bottle, then grabbed one for himself, breaking the tab. I felt so good to finally eat something after a day and a half, even if it was a cheap, lousy candy bar and plain water.

"I'm jus' hungry, man. Haven't eaten in TWO days." He emphasized the 'two' then rubbed his stomach. He finished the rest of his candy-bar then took a swig of his water.

Nick nibbled another small piece off his candy-bar, studying the mechanics every movement. Ellis finished off the water bottle in a few short minutes, letting out a satisfied "Ahhhh" whenever he was done. He patted his stomach again, this time smiling.

"Feelin' tons better now." he smiled over at Nick, exposing the bright whites of his teeth. Nick was surprised to see no chocolate smeared on them. But he did see a forgotten smudge left on the right corner of Ellis's mouth. He thought about just telling the kid to wipe it off, but then a better idea hit him.

"Overalls," he began in a murmur. "Come here." He motioned with his finger, urging Ellis to come closer.

Ellis swallowed uneasily, seeing as how they were already close. He could already see where this was leading and immediatly felt himself blushing. But he complied quickly, scooting so that his and Nick's arms we're touching.

Nick tilted his head slightly to the right, then continued. "I said, _come here_."

As if he couldn't do it himself, Nick pulled Ellis over and positioned him between his legs. He leaned forward, smirking at the mechanics overall shyness and reluctance. It was as if he was about to fuck the guy...yet...

He leaned in, murmuring sweetly. "You missed a spot there." The poor hick probably doesn't know what to think, Nick thought to himself. But prepared or unprepared, he still leaned in then licked at the corner of the mechanic's mouth, earning a low gasp from him. He tasted the sweet chocolate on his tongue, then licked his lips.

Before Ellis knew it, he'd thrown himself on the conman, clenching the white material of his suit in his hands and eagerly crushing himself to him. He felt his lips run across his and quickly parted them. He ran his tongue into Nick's mouth, relishing in the taste of him.

And he felt it, the hard on he was getting for him. It pressed against his pants uncomfortably and Nick could feel it against himself, too. He smiled against Ellis's lips, then pulled away laughing.

Suprisingly, Ellis was the first to speak. "God, Nick...I hate to say this, but I really wantchu right now..." he added a small laugh at the end.

Nick laughed too. "You ever realize that we're in the middle of a zombie apocalypse?" It didn't matter, he thought to himself. Either way, something was gonna happen.

"That don't matter." Ellis said, mirroring his thoughts. "I wantchu right now." He pressed himself against the conmen, his erection rubbing against his stomach. It caused a small groan to escape his lips.

At the same time, Nick had to admit that the kid was definetely giving him the hots. But somewhere in this run-down mall, Coach and Rochelle were off fighting zombies and possibly for their life. And all he think about was fucking this kid's brains out.

"Now right now Ellis." He found himself saying, thinking on the rational side for once.

He heard the kid whimper in protest, clenching his suit tighter in his fingers.

"I said, not right now, but that doesn't mean I'm not gonna do anything." He added, watching how Ellis's head lifted up from his pout and stared questioningly at him. He could only smirk back as he slid his hands down the mehanics injured, yet well-toned chest. He found the hem of his overalls and slid his hands under them, making Ellis bite his lip. He found him, hard and erect and wrapped his hands around him.

Ellis gasped, clenching his teeth. "Oh god..." He squeezed his eyes shut, breathing through clenched teeth.

Nick began to pump him, running his hand up and down at a slow pace, earning mews and low moans from the mechanic. Ellis set his hand against the wall behind them for support, breathing in ragged gasps.

"God, Nick...fuck, that feels too good..." He let out a long groan, setting his head against the conman's shoulder.

"You want me to go faster?" Nick whispered in a teasing tone. He felt the mechanic nod his head and he increased the pace, pumping him even faster and earning louder moans from him. His hands became slick on him and Ellis's breathing became quicker and more erratic. Nick transitioned from pumping him slow and torturously to fast and quick. His moans became more strained and high-pitched as Ellis found himself thrusting into the conman's hand.

"Oh, shit...shit, shit...god...damn, that's too much..." Ellis groaned at Nick's torturous pace. "Why ya gotta keep slowin' down...?" he asked, impatiently.

"What?" Nick said, innocently. "You want me to go faster?" He turned his head toward the mechanics neck and started nipping at it. "Want me to make you cum?" He works his hand over him quicker, from base to tip, earning an exasperated moan from him. "Well?"

"Ah, fuck yes..." He answered begging. Nick complied and never gave up the fast pace. He pumped him until finally, with a loud moan and shudder, he came into his hand and partially onto his jacket in quick bursts. He panted unevenly, trying to regain his regular breathing pattern and slumped against Nick. The conman absent-mindedly wiped his hand on his jacket. Oh well. He'd just have to find a some sink in the mall to wash it with. It was already ruined.

He placed a kissed to his neck once more then finally spoke. "We need to get going Ellis. Coach and Rochelle are gonna wonder where we are..."

Ellis looked up at him with obviously pleased, bright blue eyes then nodded quickly, standing up and dusting himself off. Nick grabbed his gun and unfinished water then opened the safe-room exit, walking out into the trashed mall with the mechanic following behind.

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**EEEeeeee! Giggling like a Jockey while I typed this. This was actually my first Yaoi...err...Lime I guess you could call it since there was no penetration. I hope I did well! I myself kinda thought it was hot...My mouth got dry and I actually had to go get a drink of water while typing this!**

**Well, y'know...REVIEW!**


	5. Reunion

**Eh...major lag going on in my head. I looked at my last chapter and blurted out, "Really?" I couldn't believe I wrote that fucking lime. I was either A) drunk off invisible Smearnoff/Vladmir or B) I was suffering from intense insomnia and was so dead that I wrote it without thinking. Why do I say this? Cuz I'm INTENSELY SHY about writing stuff like that, especially yaoi cuz I'm new to it. But oh well...**

_**Random:**__ You realize that Nick and Ellis have the most dialogue with each other in the game and that their relationship is more evolved than any other L4D character. Isn't really a NickxEllis quote/adventure, but it makes you think..._

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Nick raised his magnum slowly and planted a bullet right between the eyes of a stray zombie. It's head exploded into mush from the impact of the powerful gun. He walked by it, surveying the damage while Ellis strayed slowly behind, axe in his hands.

The silence was definitely laid on thick since their...moment in the saferoom. Ellis was much too afraid to speak up, not wanting to make things more awkward than they should be. Nick enjoyed the silence, seeing it as a much-needed break from Ellis's constant chattering, but after a while, even he found the silence a little unnerving.

As they were coming off the ramp of an escalator, Nick took in the sights of cafe's and boutqiues. He blurte out unthinkingly. "Disco pants and haircuts. Great." He turned to Ellis, running his fingers through his hair, trying to smooth back the stray pieces. "How the fuck can you stand living here, Ellis?"

Ellis jumped at his name and turned sheepishly towards Nick. His mouth felt incredibly dry and he felt immensly awkward, but hearing Nick offend his hometown had him talking instantly. "Hey, don't talk shit 'bout Savannah. It's great, man." Nick kept walking forward, his back to Ellis, but a small smile playd at his lips. Ellis had finally said something.

He decided to urge the kid on, deciding that converstation was better then the fearful silence. "Really now? Well, what I've seen seems to tell me that its a disorganized, filthy, too-damn-hot town."

"Augh, Nick! C'mon, man! Savannah is totally not like that! You jus' come down here durin' a bad time!" Ellis felt his face heat up with slight annoyance. Nick was an asshole, sure, but he didn't like it when people talked down of his home. "You're an ass, y'know?"

"Never said I wasn't." Nick replied simply, smugly. He slowed his pace a bit, coming to a steady walk beside Ellis. He looked like he'd just stepped out of a horor movie, his shirt caked in dry blood, bandages all over him, and a bloody axe in hand. The Shining, Nick thought humorously to himself.

Ellis turned slightly and was surprised to see Nick staeing back at him. He quickly lowered his eyes, making a coughing noise. Nick just rolled his eyes at him and laced his hand into Ellis's. The mechanic met his eyes again in silent awe while Nick simply wore his trademark smirk.

Ellis's face finally melted into a slow smile as he tightened his hand around Nick's.

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Rochelle approached the glass windows, Coach lagging behind her. She only had one cartridge left in her hunting rifle and Coach was already down to a crowbar. She stared at the glass windows fearfully, knowing what was to come. But there was no way around it and if they wanted to get to the atrium, this was what they were going to have to deal with. Hesitantly, she raised her gun and shot the glass windows out, making the alarm roar throughout the complex.

She took one step outside and saw the biggest horde yet heading straight towards them.

Coach prayed aloud as his crowbar connected with the head's of the infected.

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Nick and Ellis jumped at the sudden blare of the alarm. Even louder than the alarm was the roar from the infurious infected. Nick shot a quick glance at Ellis, staring into his wide blue eyes.

Ellis nodded then muttered. "Coach and Rochelle."

They began in a sprint, running down various hallways and tipped over vending machines. Ellis urged himself on, despite his previous injuries. They finally came to a shattered display windows, obviously the source of the alarm. Nick fainly made out Rochelle's pink Depeche Mode shirt.

They were both running up the stairs, Coach and Rochelle, trying to fend off the attacking infected. He knew Rochelle was out of ammo, seeing how she used the butt to knock several of the infected back. Coach held some of the back with his crowbar, but some of them were starting to slip by and overwhelm them.

Ellis called out their names. "Coach! Rochelle!" Ellis gripped his M-16 tightly, wondering if he should try to shoot from here. But he raised his gun, his finger almost pulling back on the trigger.

Nick pushed the tip of his gun away, shaking his head. "You might shoot one of them, overalls. Too risky."

Ellis merely shot him a panicked glance.

Nick stood, wracking his brain for anything that could help Coach and Rochelle. Then he finally remembered something. He brushed back the fabric of his blazer, seeing that the boomer bile was still strapped onto his belt. He'd reckognized that the green liquid was, in fact, boomer bile, after the first time they'd encountered a boomer.

If he could use that foul shit against them...no...wait...it _might _work...

He unstrapped the boomer bile from his belt and trew the container off the balcony. It shattered, spreading the vile liquid across the ground. The infected picked up the sickly sweet smell, and craned their heads towards the source.

And to Nick's amazement, they topped off the 3 story balcony onto the ground floor, following it.

"Yesss!" He hissed triumphantly. Ellis smiled, sharing his enthusiasm.

They raced up the excalators, reaching Coach and Rochelle. Upon seeing Ellis, Rochelle let out a sigh of relief and automatically hugged him. "Ellis! Oh, honey! You're alright! Oh, sweetheart..." She laughed shakily in what seemed like a mix of tears and relief.

As soon as Rochelle back away, Coach clapped Ellis on his good shoulder. "Knew you'd pull through, boy." he murmured, smiling.

They all stood there in their circle, smiling, and for a moment, Ellis could have sworn that there wasn't a better family than this.

Then reality hit. "Uhh, guys? You realize that the alarm is still going off?" Ellis said, pointing to the now rioting infected making their way back up the stairs.

:"SHIT!" Nick cursed violently. "What do we do?"

"There's a control box in the monitor room across the balcony!" Rochelle said, pointing to the room. "We can turn it off from there."

Nick nodded and began making his way to the control box. Since he was the least injured of the group, he was able to run fastest and soon found that he was leaving them behind. He thought that maybe he should wait for llis, but then decided to keep pushing on. Ellis was fine. He was with Coach and Rochelle. Nothing would happen to him.

Nick had just crossed to the other side of the balcony and could now see the room in perfect view.

All of a sudden, he heard a hideous giggling. It came from right behind him and was growing nearer. He heard Ellis yell out to him, voice full of fear. "NICK! Watch out!"

Nick barely had time to see what was coming at him. As soon as he turned, the thing latched itself onto his shoulders, digging its fingers into his cheeks and eyes. He couldn't see where he was going and it was causing him to stumble uncontrollably. He felt it humping into his back, its disgusting buldge evident in its shorts. He felt himself grow naucous and bile build in his stomach.

Suddenly, h didn't feel anything else solid under his feet and felt himself descending. The hideous monster lost its gripped on his shoulders and he regained his eyesight. He grabbed onto whatever ledge he could find, keeping himself from falling to his death. He gazed perilously below, seeing the hideous Jockey fall to its death. He heard the sickening crack echo all the way up the mall. His heart sank into his stomach.

"Nick!" he heard Ellis call out. Ellis made his way across the balcony, falling to his knees in front of Nick. He grabbed his arms and helped tow the conman up. Nick almost felt like hugging the floor once he felt something stable under his feet. He heaved a sigh of relief and leaned against the mechanic for support.

Ellis had his arms around him instantly. "You okay? Aw, shit...Nick...that thing gotchu good..." he brushed his fingers over the cuts and gouges on Nicks face.

Nick was still trying to regain his breath. "Little fucker..." he heaved out.

Coach and Rochelle had disabled the alarm and was now returning to them. Rochelle froze at the sight of the conman in the mechanic's arm. She pursed her lips, trying not to smile while Coach looked coyly at them. Nick glanced over Ellis's shoulders, then firmly pushed the mechanic back. Ellis turned and saw the same expressions and instantly complied. He helped the conman to his feet then backed away.

Coach pretended to clear his throat. "Well, uh...we still got an evac to get to...might as well get movin'."

Rochelle couldn't help herself and giggled slightly at him. Coach turned and started walking away while Nick and Ellis caught up.

"So, boys-" Rochelle began, but Nick's icy glare stopped her short. "O-Kaaaaay." she said, dragging out the vowel.

Ellis merely smiled, like he always did. At least they were all okay and reunited.

At least Nick wasn't hurt.

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**What a cliche ending...I hope that didn't sound cheesy or anything. I don't want this story to be a giant cheese-fest full of nothing but lovey-dovey moments, so Imma try and slip in an adequate amount of action. And unlike a lot of other stories, Imma try not to completely ignore Coach and Rochelle. (HEY! They need attention too! T_T)**

**Please R&R! **


	6. Hero

**So, I reluctantly typed this chapter, seeing how I really didn't have any reviews and was lacking inspiration. But I personally wanna thank Esmtz for reviewing all my chapters. I have to return the favor by saying that your current story is doing wonderful and I'm loving the direction you're taking it. THANK YOU! Now...let's get started.**

_**Random:**__ I think ZoeyxEllis is FUCKING RETARDED. What a goddamn stupid pairing. Zoey is a dumb-ass whore who I hate with the burning intensity of a thousand deserts. I welcome flamers. I love to laugh at them, lol. Dumb fucks._

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Nick was sitting on the edge of the table while Ellis took a swab and dabbed the cuts on his face with medicine. It was pink and sweet-smelling and made his cuts sting slightly. Nick winced with each dab.

"Jesus, overalls...this shit stings." he complained.

Ellis merely smiled at him. "You complain a lot."

Nick flicked the top of the mechanics nose, causing him to flinch. "Shut up, you ass-clown. I know I complain a lot. It's what I do best."

Ellis rubbed his nose with his free hand, mutturing a low "ow". Rochelle sat with Coach on the other side of the room, tending to their own wounds. She hadn't realized she had been staring until Coach nudged her.

"Whatchu lookin' at, girl?" he said quietly so Nick and Ellis couldn't hear them.

Rochelle smiled gently and shook her head. "Just them, I guess." she sighed and rested her back against the wall. "It freaks me out how they just suddenly started to get along."

"What are you talkin' 'bout?" he said, eyeing her. "Ellis annoys Nick just as much as he did when they first met."

Rochelle turned her attention back to the conman and mechanic. "Yeah, but it's not the same as before. I mean look at them...they're all..._lovey _I guess."

Coach resumed wrapping Rochelle's arm with gauze, continuing. "Well...yeah, I s'pose. It's weird, ain't it?"

Rochelle laughed, but shook her head in disagreement. "Not really...it's kinda cute in a way. I'd rather see them like this than trying to kill each other. I just freaks me out how all of a sudden, Nick cares."

Coach pursed his lips. He didn't reply to Rochelle's last comment, merely focusing on wrapping her wounds. He didn't really feel all to comfortable with their situation. He had lived his entire life in the south and had been raised with old-fashioned morals. It was common for the Baptist Faith to shun...gays. It was, after all, a sin in his mind. But he never voiced his distaste for their relationship, knowing that it was their decision and not his. But that still didn't keep him from feeling incredibly weirded out and awkward around him.

What freaked him out the most was how..._accepting _Ellis was of the idea. He knew Ellis was raised to be a Christian too, even though his faith consisted of Roman Catholic. But here the kid was, blushing and acting all sweet towards the conman. Brushing his fingers across his face and having his body so close to Nick's...Coach shook his head, not even wanting to think about it even furhter.

He was brought from his thoughts whenever Nick and Ellis approached them.

"'Kay, guys. I think we're all wrapped up now. Think we should head onto the atrium?" Ellis asked, streching slightly. He had to remind himself that his shoulder was still wounded and he still nursed the wounds from the Hunter's attack.

"Yeah. I'm dying to get out of here." Rochelle responded first, standing up. She unstrapped her newly reloaded gun from her back, holding it in both hands. "We should hurry, before anything else happens."

Coach stayed quiet, letting Rochelle speak for the both of them.

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Goddamnit...Nick thought to himself. He tipped the gas-can forward, desperatly begging for the car to fill up quicker. "How big is the tank in this thing?" he called out to Ellis who was on the balcony above.

It had been Ellis' idea to use Jimmy Gibbs Jr's car to escape from the mall, seeing as how there had, in fact, been no evac waiting to rescue them. Nick cursed CEDA with every breath in him, hating them for leaving him twice in one day.

"Jus' a little more! Maybe 2 or 3 tanks!" Ellis called back. He was walking back down stairs, heading for the gas tanks on the ground level floor. There were exactly 3 on the fair side of the atrium, just enough to get them out of there. He had began running to the tanks whenever a loud rumble literally shook the room.

Ellis stopped dead in his tracks, listening to to terrifying sound. The floor shook more and more and he felt his whole body quivering with the vibrations. His shoulder ached with the mere force of it.

Then a table went flying over his head and missed him. Barely.

A large, mammoth figure busted through the scaff-holding on the wall and threatened to smash him flat into the ground, But Nick, being closest to him, dived right before the giant fist could reach him, rolling away with the mechanic in his arms.

The shock of the situation left Ellis disoriented.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING?" Rochelle shouted from the second floor, shooting it with her rifle. The bullets were making their mark, but didn't seem to be slowing down the tank any.

"BIG ASS MUTHA!" Coach shouted back shooting it with his shotgun. But it was long range and the spread of bullets wasn't doing much. He made his way downstairs, hoping for a better affect.

Ellis blinked his eyes slowly at the lights in the ceiling, disoriented. He faintly felt Nick's arms around him, secure and strong. His shoulder ached with dull pain. He felt Nick dragging him up to his feet.

"Ellis! Run! Get up and run!" he heard Nick yelling at him.

Numbly, he picked himself up and followed the orders mindlessly. They ran up the stairs to the second floor, the tank trailing behind them closely. Coach and Rochelle were behind it, spraying bullets. It soon turned its attention back to them, roaring in pain and fury. With one swing of its arm, it sent both of the flying back a good 15 feet.

Ellis, finally regaining his senses, panicked for the two of his teammates. He turned frantically, trying to find some means of killing the tank. He saw a lone molotov sitting on a table and picked it up.

"This better work, damnit." he muttured to himself.

Nick saw the bottle in his hands and knew what he was planning. "I'll get the other 3 gas tanks." Ellis nodded at him, complying.

The duo ran back downstairs. Nick shot at the tank, distracting it from Rochelle and Coach while they got themselves together. Ellis raised his arm back, and then threw the cocktail at the monstrosity. It made its mark, turning the tank into a towering inferno. Nick ran around it, heading for the three gascans. Ellis back away from the tank, shooting it while it howled in pain from the flames burning its flesh. Coach and Rochelle were on it, too, pouring whatever bullets they had left. Nick was carrying the gascans back to the car and was pouring them it in.

"Come on damnit. Come ON." Nick begged the cans. He just finished the first one and was now on the second.

Ellis backed up against the corner of the atrium, the flaming tank inching closer. His gun was now out of bullets and it just seemed like the monster was never going to die. Coach and Rochelle shouted his name as they finished off their last cartridges.

And as if to make things worse, the roar of the horde was heard in the distance.

Nick finished pouring the last can in and turned to yell for his teammates to get in the car. Then he saw Ellis, undefended and vulnerable, the tank closing in on him. His heart beat furiously and fast, everything slowing down. He saw the panicked look in Ellis's beautiful baby blues, saw the horrified looks on Coach and Rochelle's faces, and saw the crowbar laying absently on the floor.

He reached down and picked it up.

Ellis held his breath, seeing the tanks arms coming down, and seeing the approaching zombies in the background. Just as he thought death was approaching, he found himself whispering. "God, Nick. I love you. IoveyouIloveyouIloveyou..."

Blood spurted quick and hot against his face, drenching him. But he didn't feel any pain. He didn't feel himself being crushed. He didn't feel himself dying. He dared himself to open one eye.

And what he saw must've been an angel, because it was the happiest thing he'd saw so far.

Nick had jumped onto the Tank's flaming back and hooked the crowbar through its eye socket. The flames lapped at his suit and skin and Ellis saw the pain and exertion on his face. He jerked the crowbar back and lodged it further into the tank's eye socket. It struggled uselessly against it, then tumbled to the ground, a bloody and charred mess. Nick, feeling the burns and his previous wounds, collapsed beside it.

"Nick!" Ellis cried out. He ran over to the conman and turned him over. Some parts of his skin was red and burnt, welps popping up quickly. His heart skipped a beat contemplating. He set his head against the conman's chest, listening.

And breathed a sigh of relief when he heard his heartbeat strong and loud.

He hoisted the conman up in his arms and yelled for Coach and Rochelle who were holding back the horde. "Let's get outta her NOW!"

They turned back to the car and all boarded it.

Nick couldn't open his eyes, but he could hear. The last he heard was the shattering sound of glass and the squeal of the tires as they raced from the mall.

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**Ugh...I just 'went with the flow' on this. Hell, I do that with every chapter. I really don't have any idea where I'm taking this story. Sorry for spelling mistakes. I don't have microsoft word and must make do with wordpad...**

**LOL, watching King of the Hill nao...I love that show. And My Name is Earl...and The Hangover...and Bradley Cooper, btw.**

**Hey, if you have free time, listen to this song!**

Bat Country by Avenged Sevenfold

**Or watch the video. It's trippy. It's about going to Vegas. It's trippy.**

"Cantchu help me as I'm starting to burn (all alone). Too many doses and I'm starting to get an attraction. My confidence is leaving me on my own! (all alone). No one can save me and you know I don't want the attention."


	7. Rejection

**Holy crap, okay, okay...BREATH DESTINEY! *whew* Okay, so I just found out that there's gonna be The Hangover 2! And filming is set to start I think either August 15th or October 15th. It comes out in 2011! And guess who's back...? NICK-LOOK-ALIKE Bradley Cooper! I wonder where its taking place this time? Maybe Atlantic City or Reno...somewhere that involves partying/gambling, lol. Maybe he divorcd his wife, lol, since he complains so much in the movie that he hates being married...**

_**Random: **__So I was playing L4D2 today whenever Nick startled the Witch (good gawd). And somehow I got stuck in her path trying to cr0wn her, and she attacked me instead (I was playing as Ellis). I went down and Nick was like 20 feet away from me. Rochelle revived me and I was like, "Yeah, thanks a lot NICK." Then he waltz over to where I am, 20 FEET AWAY, and heals me whenever Coach and Rochelle both had healthpacks and were standing RIGHT NEXT TO ME. It made me burst into a fit of giggles..._

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Nick still refused to talk to Ellis in a kind manner. He tried his best to advoid any conversations at all with him. He had to say that he felt a little betrayed...

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"Zoey, Zoey, Zoey, Zoey, Zoe- I can jus' say that name all day long. Zoey, Zoey, Zoey..." Ellis mumbled over and over again, passing through the trashed wedding. The cry of a Witch was heard nearby and Nick gritted his teeth in both annoyance towards the which and Ellis. He wished he'd just shut up about the stupid girl. Did anything they did matter to him? "Y'all, this reminds me...Imma totally have to marry that girl."

Nick curled his fingers in, his nails scrapping against his palms, making them sting. Rochelle took note of his changed behaviour and sent a sorry look towards him.

"Nick..." she whispered, laying a hand on his shoulder. "It's just a small crush. You know how Ellis is. It'll pass..."

He dismissed her hand, shooing it away with his own. "Yeah. _Sure_. Wanting to marry the girl is _completely _crush-worthy. I don't care anyhow. I actually like this a whole lot better."

Rochelle bit her lip, knowing that Nick was lying to her and himself. She knew it was a lie because it it wasn't, then why was Nick so bitter towards Zoey and Ellis now? She knew it must've really been breaking his heart. Her eyebrows lowered as she frowned, feeling a bit of his heartache.

"Nick, he'll forget it as soon as we-"

Nick turned his back to her, and began stalking away. "Yeah, what the fuck ever. I don't give a shit. Never did." He walked ahead of the group, easily dispatching nearby zombies. He didn't pay any mind to the witch, too pissed off to give a shit about her.

Rochelle stared after him quietly. Yeah...this was definitely getting to him. Ellis walked up behind Rochelle, catching her off guard with his voice.

"Where's Nick goin' to?" he asked curiously. They picked back up walking, trailing behind the conman slowly. The cries of the witch grew louder. "He looked kinda pissed."

"He is pissed, sweety." Rochelle sighed. Sometimes Ellis was _too_ oblivious to the things around him. She wished he was more alert. This probably wouldn't be happening. "What's going on with you and this Zoey girl?"

Ellis' blushed deeply and busied himself with his gun. "She is an AN-GEL. God, I don't think I've ever seen a girl so beautiful." His voice trailed off into a low mumble.

Nick glanced behind him and saw Ellis and Rochelle talking. Of course, leave it to Rochelle to try and patch things up. It didn't matter though. He was actually kind've glad of the whole situation. This was the break he'd been waiting for.

While he knew he couldn't fool himself into not caring for Ellis, he knew that their lopsided relationship needed to come to a halt. He'd made sure not to let himself become emotionally attached to people, ever again. Especially since he divorced his wife, being convinced that love was a silly little distraction that he of all people didn't need.

You had your one-night stands. You had your occasional little "lovers". Then you had Ellis. Nick couldn't place him in either of those catagories and this bothered him. He'd made the fatal mistake of coming to care for Ellis. He needed to sever that bond before he got himself any deeper into this situation. This was just the distraction he needed.

_Don't think about it, dumbass... _He thought to himself.

It would never work. He and Ellis were from two completely different worlds. The kid was an optimist. He was a pessimist. The kid was a southerner. He was from the north. He was a gambler. The kid was a mechanic.

He traded love for money.

Ellis didn't trade anything for anything.

The cry of the witch was loud now, and it hurt Nick's ears. There she was, dressed up in the gaudy wedding gown, covered in blood and gore. Nick felt his frustration materialize into his newly found shotgun and trudged forward.

Rochelle, Ellis, and Coach turned just in time to see Nick looming above the furious, growling witch.

"NICK, WHAT THE HELL, MAN!" Ellis cried out to him. He felt his hands tighten on his gun, ready to charge forward and help kill the witch.

They all watched in horror and Nick lifted the barrel of his shotgun to the witch's head.

And cr0wned her on the spot.

"Cr0wned, bitch." He spat on her, kicking the lifeless body away. And continued on with his business as if nothing ever happened.

His three teammates stared dumbfounded. Ellis finally mumbled under his breath. "Definitely pissed..."

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The bridge was lowered now, and the four survivors were running across it back to Jimmy Gibbs' racecar.

Ellis bellowed out. "I LOVE YA ZOEY! Never forgetcha girl!"

He made it to the car first, jumping into the driver seat. Rochelle went to sit in the back, but Nick reached the spot before her. "Nick?" She asked questioningly.

"You sit in front, Ro. I don't _want _to." He said bitterly. Coach climbed in beside Nick awkwardly, feeling the tension in the air. Ellis looked into the rearview mirror, taking note of the obvious change. His baby blues surveyed Nick worriedly, a frown carressing his features. He shot the same look towards Rochelle.

"Ro..." He whispered sadly to her. He realized that maybe he shouldn't have shouted his love for Zoey in the open like that. Rochelle _had_ explained that it was making Nick a little jealous. He hadn't noticed the conman's cold shoulder attitude earlier, but now it bugged him beyond anything.

Rochelle merely shook her head, not responding. He sighed sadly and pressed down on the gas pedal, leaving his behind the 3 other survivors.

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Which brings Nick back to his thoughts now. They stood at the entrance of Whispering Oaks amusement park.

He still wasn't talking to Ellis and never gave the mechanic the chance to talk to him. Whereas they would regularly walk together in the back, Nick now stood in the front with Coach while Rochelle took his spot beside Ellis.

Ellis never really talked anymore, afraid of the awkwardness that would ensue. He only talked when urged, but they were merely informational phrases, such as "Pills here" or "I hear a hunter".

It was a definite change for Coach and Rochelle, who were used to the constant chattering of the mechanic and Nick's sarcastic, yet playful remarks. The silence was thick and it was starting to get unnerving.

Coach decided to break the ice. "Well, hell...The Midnight Riders! And we just missed them? DAMN!"

Ellis caught the 3 words in his sentence and responded eagerly. "The Midnight Riders! You kiddin' me! Man, I love 'em! Didn't know you were a fan, Coach!"

Rochelle smiled, thankful for the change, but then remembered that Nick was being as cold as ever. Sh walked up to him and nudged his arm. "Hey...lighten up, grumpy. You can't stay mad forever."

Nick glared daggers at her. "I'm not mad." He snapped out.

Rochelle was unphased, used to his behaviour. "You so are, too. Look, Ellis feels really bad about what he done and see? He's already over her, like I said. Give him a chance Nick."

Nick remained unmoved. "There is no chance to give, Ro." He closed his eyes and sighed wearily. "Maybe its better like this. Ellis would be a lot better off without me."

Rochelle pursed her lips. She couldn't really argue with Nick, knowing full well that he wasn't xactly best for Ellis. But she did know one thing. "But you make him happy."

Nick shook his head in disagreement. He didn't give her response, so Rochelle finally gave up. She walked over to the ammo pile and reloaded her hunting rifle.

Ellis and Coach were now done ranting about The Midnight Riders. Ellis took to stealing glances between Rochelle and Nick. He'd seen peripherally out of his vision that they'd been talking. He saw how Nick sighed and shook his head and Rochelle's hopeful smile finally crumbled.

"I think I fucked up..." he whispered to himself. He chest ached dully with heartbreak. "Shit, man..."

He couldn't take much more of Nick's silence and rejection. Something was going to have to be done.

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**Of course, asshole Nick is gonna try and deny his lurve for Ellis. Its so natural. **

**I couldn't just make this story happy-go-lucky. I always, ALWAYS try to give my stories happy endings...IDK about this one...I'm not sure yet. It just depends on where I take this from here.**

**Still incredibly excited for The Hangover 2. I guess now is the best time to say that I am OFFICALLY obsessed with Bradley Cooper...and so is my mom, lol...**

**Y'know whats even weirder? BRADLEY COOPER IS 35 YEARS OLD, SAME AS NICK! O_o**

**Suggestions? Comments? Criticism? Welcomed.**

**Flamers? Haha, I LAFF at'chu.**


	8. Karma

**Hello thar, err'one. God, I hang that new SLANG! Everyone who lives near me is always using "Err'one" instead of "everyone" when they talk on Myspace and its killing me! IDK why, but that slang gets on my nerves...Just like "prolly" instead of "probably"...I'm like, "GOD, I KNOW WE LIVE IN WEST VIRGINIA, BUT PLEASE USE PROPER LANGUAGE!" :L**

**Speaking of West Virginia...I'm thinking of going to Tsubasacon '10 as a female Hunter...Just wanted to share that with you guys. It's in Hunnington if anyone is going...**

_**Random: **__I know that they're just computer controlled bots, but have you ever noticed that Nick-bot or Ellis-bot always has a tendency to stay beside each other at all times? I was playing as Ellis and accidently shot a witch during a tank fight on Hard Rain and Nick followed me (I ran as far away as I could) and revived me during a tank fight...You'd think he'd stay behind and fight the tank like all other bots would do, but nooooooooo...he saved my ass. _

_Y'know the saying..."NICK! He saves bitches!" ROFLMAO! xD_

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The bright, cheery sigh hungover the part of the Carnival that hosted all of the children's rides.

"Hoooooooo-lee shit...KIDDIE-LAND! I wanna ride one, just one! C'mon guys, please?" Ellis begged.

Coach and Rochelle sent strange looks towards each other. "Sometimes it feels like we're baby-sitting, doesn't it?"

Rochelle smiled back towards him, defending Ellis. "Well, he is making th best of a bad situation...Oh, what the hell. WOO! Kiddie-Land!" Rochelle cheered, pumping her fist in the air. Sh half-expected Nick to comment on Ellis' childishness, but neard not a single word escape the conman's lips. She sighed, her shoulders sagging. "This is really depressing..."

Coach nodded in mutual agreement.

They walked further into the theme park, observing the nearby infected. Nick turned his attention towards a merry-go-round and was greeted by a clown with bright orang hair and a mouth spewing blood and flesh. He shivered. "Goddamn fucking clowns? You've got to be kidding me..."

The clown noticed him and bared its sharp, jagged teeth. It began in a full-sprint towrads him, the honking of its shoes drawing more infected.

"Somebody shut that thing up!" Coach called out. Nick shot it in the head with his pistol, but it merely recoiled. It jerked its head back around, half of its face torn and unnoticeable.

Nick flinched back in shock. "Is it me, or are these bastards a little harder to kill?" He shot it once more, this time with his shotgun. It crumpled to the ground, missing an arm.

But the other infected still rioted. The clowns obnoxious shoes had called a horde. Rochelle produced a pipe-bomb and drew them all away. The explosion killed most of them and what ones were left were quickly handled.

Rochelle was regaining her breath whenever she spotted Ellis.

A sad frown carrassed his once-cheery features. His baby blues lowered, staring at the ground in silence. He loosly held onto his pistol.

She walked slowly over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her and knew exactly what she was there for. "I jus' don't know, Ro...Nick ain't talkin' to me and he won't look at me and...I really don't know what to do or say and it's jus' killing me and-" he was babbling on uncontrollably, his voice cracking here and there.

Rochelle pulled his head down to her bossom and cooed to him. "Oh, sweetheart. It's okay...It's not you, trust me."

Ellis squeezed his eyes shut. "If it ain't then what the hell's goin' on?"?

Rochelle contemplated her words carefully, lingering on what she shoudl tell Ellis. "Sweety...maybe Nick...maybe he's not what's best for you." Ellis looked up at her, horrified at the thought. "He's...well...you two are...different."

"I know that..." Ellis mumbled back slowly. "He knows that."

Rochelle stepped back so that she could look at Ellis more clearly. "Yes, but Ellis...you have to consider that Nick isn't exactly a..._good_ person. But you are, Ellis. And frankly, if this is the way he's going to be, I wouldn't waste my time or my thoughts on him."

Ellis lowered his eyes back to the ground, feeling utterly defeated. He knew that Rochelle was right, that it'd never work out for him and Nick. They _were_ from two completely different worlds.

He couldnt figure out how they'd ever coexisted the way that had.

He felt Rochelle's hand drop from his shoulder. "I'll give you time to think about it, okay? But I'll always be here for you." With that, she picked up her spot beside Coach and trudged on.

Ellis curled his fingers in, the ache in his chest almost unbearable. _I think she's right..._

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"Jesus H. Christ, that shit is LOUD!" Nick complained. The music of the merry-go-round was deafening and the roar of the horde was close. The metal fence opened slowly and the four surviors made their way around.

"Somebody needs to turn the music off! It's attracting the horde!" Rochelle yelled.

They exited on the other side of the fence, Nick running ahead of everyone else. The switch was just up ahead...Nick made a sharp right turn and jumped up on the platform, ignoring the steps. He pulled the lever down and the music shut off.

Now they just had to deal with the horde.

Rochelle shoved away what infected she could with her baseball bat. "Anyone have a pipe-bomb? Boomer Bile? Molotovs? ANYTHING?" She never recieved a reply.

Nick kept the infected around him at bay with his shotgun. But his ammo was started to deplete rapidly and soon he had to switch to his pistol. It barely kept them away. He hadn't realized it until then that Ellis was nowhere to be seen. He turned in a circle, searching for their lost teammate. "Where's Ellis?" His voice was almost lost in the screams of the infected.

Coach turned and blew off the head of a nearing zombie with his rifle. "I don't know! Ro, have you seen Ellis?"

Rochelle turned, eyes wide. "Y-Yeah, he was right behind me..." But the mechanic was nowhere to be seen.

"Fuck!" Nick cursed loudly. "Rochelle, trade me weapons!" He held out his pistol to her. She shoved her bat in his hands, not wanting to argue, and grudgingly took the pistol.

He shoved his way through the crowd of infected, calling out. "Ellis! Godamnit, you useless hick! Where the hell are you, dip-shit?" He turned again, smashing the head of a zombie with his bat. "Ellis!"

A loud, high-pitched scream pierced the night, making Nick's ears ring. _What the fuck was that...?_ He peered of the heads of the infected, finally catching glimpse of the mechanic. He was being backed into the Tunnel of Love by what seemed almost like a young, teenage girl. But she had almost no clothes on, only wearing the torn remains of a shirt and her panties.

Her fingers with long, black, bloody talons.

"Ellis-" He choked out, his name getting stuck in his throat. He didn't know how, but he shoved his way through the horde of zombies and ran after the mechanic. It felt like the world was moving in fast-forward, but he was stuck in slow motion.

Ellis' voice rang out in pain and it felt like all feeling was stripped from Nick's legs. "Ellis." He choked his name out again. He was now at the entrance of the Tunnel of Love and he saw the them then.

The witch was leaned over Ellis, claw marks engraved across Ellis' chest. And _god_, they were _deep_. And gushing blood.

It didn't look like the witch was done. She brought her claws back for a finishing blow.

The full blunt force of Nick swinging the bat made a sicking crack echo throught the entrance of the tunnel as the bat connected with the back of her skull. Her neck bone was sticking out in a sick position as she crumpled to the floor.

Nick dropped to his knees beside the mechanic, pressing his hands over the wounds that were practically gushing blood. He applied the slightest pressure, trying to stop the bleeding. "Overalls..." he whispered to him.

Ellis' eyes fluttered a little, his hand reaching out blindlly, trying to find something to grip. His breathing was shallow and deep. "Nick, is that...is that-"

"It's me, goddamnit...What the fuck were you doing?" Nick wanted to sound angry. He wanted to sound pissed as hell, but his voice came out desperate and low. He clamped his hands over the claw marks, as if he could push the blood back inside Ellis' body. He pulled one of his hands back, completely drenched in dark, vicious red liquid up to his forearm. "Oh, shit..."

He turned his head in each direction, looking for anything that could help. He finally settled for taking off his white blazer -it was ruined anyway- and had Ellis' hold his against his wounds. He grabbed the mechanic's shoulders and drug him into the safe-house of the Tunnel, trying his best to ignore Ellis' whimpers of protest and pain.

Coach and Rochelle were approaching quickly, having dispatched the horde on their own. Rochelle gasped as she took in the sight of Ellis. "Oh, honey!" She cried out, dropping down to her knees beside him. "Oh, we're so sorry..." she whispered, eyes filling with tears.

"What the hell happened son?" Coach spoke in a hushed tone. He dropped down beside Rochelle.

Nick grabbed a health-pack from the table and opened it up, spilling the contents out on the floor beside Ellis. Ellis looked up to Coach, replying weakly. "I don't know...one of them things, but it was a lot meaner...just got all pissed and came...at me..." He bit down on his lip, wincing from the surges of pain running through his body.

Nick shooed Rochelle's hands away, needle and thread in his hands. Rochelle stared at the two items with wide eyes. "What the hell are you doing?"

Nick bit down on the far end of the thread, tearing just enough to use. "I've got to sew this shit up." He threaded the string into the needle.

"You have to what? Have you ever done this before?" Rochelle snapped out at him in disbelief.

Nick was now trying to carefully peel Ellis' shirt off him. He was careful pulling it over his chest and soon had it over his head. He began spraying a disinfectant on the wounds. "You can say I have...don't ask." Even he was surprising himself with how calm he was being. He knew that panicking wouldn't get them anywhere now.

Coach grabbed the top of Rochelle's arm gently and hauled the reluctant, overly-protective girl away. Nick shook his head. Sometimes her motherly instincts were too much to bear. "Ellis? Hey, you still with me?" Nick was hoping for no reply, knowing that it'd be easier on Ellis -and himself- if he he was unconcious.

Ellis looked up at Nick with his beautiful baby blues -god, how could Nick even been thinking about that right now?- and nodded weakly. "Is it gonna hurt...?"

Nick gritted his teeth, feeling incredibly remorseful for the boy below him. "Like hell." Well, at least it was the truth. He pierced the skin with the needle and Ellis whimpered out loudly in pain.

It took everything in Nick to keep himself from wincing. He threaded in and out of the skin, piecing the wound together. Ellis tried to muffle his whimpers by biting down on his lip, but even then it still came out in long, excrutiating groans.

Rochelle watched horrified in the corner while Coach tried to sleep beside her. Tonight was going to be a long night.

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**Well now...there's a little something to make Nick think about his actions. Karma has a way of bitch-slapping you. Just like the Karma Charger. Now I know that its not good to team-kill because of him, lol. **

**Hmmm...watching Silent Library...**

**IDK when to update? I guess whenever I feel like it...or if I gets lots of love and people can convince me cuz everyone knows that I LOVE reviews and like to write whenever I get a lot of them.**

**...I wanna go see The A-TEAM...**


	9. Killing Loneliness

**RAWR! Up at 6:45 AM and nothing to do...my sleep schedule is all outta whack. HA! Watching Tom and Jerry, what now! ...Eh...yeah...this is what happens when I've been up all night...I had nothing else to do (and I'm waiting on the Jell-O I'm making to get done, lol), so I decided that I'd better put my time to use. I was gonna play L4D2 or Modern Warfare 2, but I realized that its a little too early for me to be screaming about getting beat up by zombies or killed by my own grenade, lol.**

_**Random: **__Hm...If you ever noticed, Fanfiction/LiveJounral/DeviantART hosts more Nick/Ellis fanfics then Ellis/Zoey or Nick/Rochelle. Kinda makes you realize which fanbase is bigger. Take that VALVe! Hurrah!_

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Rochelle had finally given into sleep and Coach had snoozed off long ago. Ellis lie in the floor beside the now-exhausted Nick, clinging to the bloody, once white blazer. The claw marks were all sewed up and the bleeding long stopped. But he was still pale, his lips a light violet, from all the blood loss. Nick had guarenteed him many times that he was going to be alright. He took his word for it.

"Nick?" Ellis found himself reluctantly calling out.

The conman opened his eyes slowly and peered down at him. He really did look exhausted, his eyes half-lidded and pale purple crescents under them. Ellis knew he shouldn't have been bothering him. "What?" Nick replied wearily.

Ellis hesitated a couple of seconds, pursing his lips. He finally spoke. "I'm really sorry 'bout the whole bridge thing."

Nick supressed the urge to groan. He knew that sometimes or later in the night, Ellis would bring this up. He should'v just pretended rhat he was asleep. "Yeah." Was all he said. He toyed with the cuffs on his dress shirt, distracting his eyes from Ellis.

"No, _really_. I am." Ellis urged on, trying to get a proper response from Nick. Nick murmured a "Mm-hmm" and remained unresponsive. Ellis sighed in annoyance. "Why won'tchu talk to me anymore?"

"I have no clue what you're talking about." Nick replied quickly and nonchalantly.

Ellis rolled his eyes, despite how bad he was feeling. "You won't talk to me. You won't walk beside me, anymore. You won't even look at me."

Nick tilted his head back against the wall and graoned, closing his eyes. "Can we let this drop?"

"No." Ellis said stubbornly. "I wanna know what the hell's your problem. I apologized and you're still actin' like an ass."

Nick almost - _almost_- smiled at Ellis' being angry with him. Now that was _rare_. He wished he could get a reaction like this out of the kid more. For once, he was acting like a normal human being towards Nick. "I'm an asshole. Did you know that? Not many people do." He joked sarcastically.

"I'm bein' serious, Nick!" Ellis snapped out. He tried pushing himself up on his elbows, struggling against the searing pain in his chest. He clecnhed his teeth and hissed in pain as he felt his stitches being pulled.

"Dumb-shit!" Nick pushed him back down on the floor. "Keep moving like that, and you're going to tear your stitches. And I _am not _going to go through that again."

Ellis glared up at him. "Tell me why."

"Just let it fucking go, Ellis. Goddamn..." Nick went to get up and move to a different spot, but Ellis grabbed his arm, his fingers digging in roughly. "Ow, damnit!"

"No, you're staying here." Ellis ground out stiffly. "And you're gonna apologize."

"You're not my fucking mother." Nick protested, pulling against Ellis' grip. It suprised him how much strength the kid still had, even with all that blood loss. "Let go."

"No."

"You better fucking let go."

"Make me."

"Overalls-"

"Apologize."

"I'm not apologizing you damn hick!" Nick jerked his arm out of Ellis' grip roughly. "Goddamn! Things happen y'know? Fucks come and go. And dammnit, _Ellis_, it's just not going to happen between us, okay?" He rubbed his arm, trying to sooth the burn of Ellis' grip.

If Ellis looked angry before, now he looked completely horrified. He let his hand drop slowly back to his side, completely defeated. The silence grew thick and uneasy between them.

It was only when Nick heard Ellis' teeth chattering did he look at the mechanic again. And, of course, he was shivering, his ruined blazer offering almost no warmth.

He always had a soft spot for Ellis. It was something he couldn't really deny the kid.

He dropped down beside him on the floor and scooted in close, earning a gasp. He pulled Ellis into an embrace, resting his head on the crook of Ellis' neck.

"Nick, what're y-"

"Shut up. I think me and you have fought enough tonight..." Nick felt arms hesitantly return the gesture and Ellis' frame settle in against his. "Jesus Christ, you're freezing."

Ellis was still shivering. "Didn't want to bother you."

"You couldn've at least hinted it."

Ellis smiled, knowing Nick wouldn't be able to see it. He turned his lips onto his neck, whispering. "I knew you cared."

"Do-fucking-not."

Ellis already expected him to say something like that. He merely brushed it off, knowing it was one of the conman empty insults. "Whatever." He snuggled closer into him, his fingers gripping the blue material of his dress-shirt.

x

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x

"Awwwww, aren't you two just the cutest..."

Nick's eyes shot open and he was met with the amused face of Rochelle and the slightly put-off face of Coach. "What the fuck..."

Ellis was sleeping contently and happily against him, arms wrapped all about his torso. Coach shook his head at Nick. "I've seen some things in my life, but _son_-"

"Shut up." Nick snapped at him. "He got cold." He disengaged himself from Ellis and shook the mechanic awake.

Ellis awoke with a startled shake. "W-What's goin' on!" And went to jerk himself up, but hissed at the sudden pain in his shoulder. Nick helped himself up to his feet slowly.

"Nothin'. It's time to go, son. Got a lot of ground to cover today since we had to stop last night." Coach answered. The burly man strapped a health-pack to his back and reloaded his rifle.

"Aw, shit...sorry 'bout that guys." Ellis retrieved his Bull-Shifters shirt and eased his over his head, using careful movements. "I really shouldn't have got us into this mess."

"It's alright, sweety. We're just glad you're okay." Rochelle sent him that warm, familiar smile and he instantly felt okay again.

"The Tunnel of _Love_! Jesus Christ...you're kidding me." Nick complained loudly whenever he opened the saferoom exit.

"Yeah. Where the hell did you think we were, boy?" It was Coach's voice.

"What the hell is going on here..." Nick whispered to himself and then started muttering curses about karma and luck and his ex-wife.

"Come on, y'all. We gotta get movin' if we wanna get to another saferoom before nightfall." Coach walked out the saferoom, leading as he always did. Rochelle trailed behind him, still gigling here and there. Nick walked beside Ellis, falling into their usual formation. "Okay, guys...no smoochin' now."

Nick clenched his teeth in annoyance while Rochelle busted out into laughter. Nick unclenched his teeth and instead took to insulting the burly man back. "Bring back any memories, Coach? You...a cheeseburger...romance in the air..." If Rochelle was laughing then, she was all out having an attack of giggles now. She held her side, rasping for air.

"Get'cho ass movin' Nick." Coach replied bitterly. Nick smiled, victorious.

The Tunnel was desolate. Swan boats still lingered along the tunnel, water pipes were busted and of course, there were infected. Bu the limited space gave the advantage to the survivors, so killing them was no problem. There were no ledges for Smokers to work from and the low ceiling kept most of the Hunter's at bay.

At one point, they had to take crawling through a vent to get around. Nick had jokingly said aloud that it wasn't very romantic, earning another laugh from Rochelle and a blush from Ellis. Coach grimaced.

"Into the _Swan Maintainence Room of LOVE!_" Ellis had yelled out comically. It earned the attention of the nearby infected and they tried to swarm him, but Nick defended the senselss -that'd what he thought he was- mechanic from them with his shotgun.

"Keep yelling, idiot. You're doing a good job attracting uneeded attention." He smashed a zombie over the head with the butt of his shotgun, its skull sinking in.

"Sorry 'bout that." He apologized meekly.

Nick sighed. "It's nothing, overalls." He patted him easily on the shoulder before walking away.

Rochelle smiled happily at them. "I don't know what happened to make them make up, but I'm glad they're past whatever was going on between them."

"Speak for yourself, girl." Coach disagreed. "I think it was better with all the quiet."

Rochelle laughed at him, knowing that it was just Coach's upbringing that made him the way he was.

x

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"Looks like we're gonna have to run the coaster to get across."

Coach observed the tracks, standing at the entrance to the ride. Ellis turned towards him, mouth agape and eyes wide.

"We're...gonna have to run...the COASTER? ..._This is the best day of my life! _It's like...Christmas..." He stood, beaming at the roller coaster like a child.

Nick actually let out an amused laugh. "How old ar you again?"

"Twenty-three." Ellis answered him matter-of-factly.

"Really?" Nick mused. "I thought you were five."

"Hey!" Ellis yelled, offended.

"Boys, boys! We gotta get movin'!" Coach yelled at them both. He'd already activated the coaster and soon, it zoomed by them, climbing the hills. The gates opened and Coach signaled for them to run as fast as they could. The loud alarm that was going off attracted a hrde, a large one at that. Every infected in the amusement park was making their way to their position.

They were now going up their second hill. Rochelle heard a smoker cough in the distance and alerted everyone of its presence. She saw the green smoke floating behind a sign on one of the upper levels, but couldn't get a good aim at the smoker.

"Thank god this doesn't do a loop." Nick spoke in a low voice to Ellis. They slid cautiously down the coaster's hill and landed safely at the bottom. Rochelle was about to follow suit whenever a slimy, pink tongue wrapped around her body.

"Coach!" She muffled out to him. Her arms were constricted, so she couldn't grab onto anything to stop the smoker's advance. Coach, who was at the bottom of the coaster hill, turned and saw Rochelle dangling dangerously over the side of the tracks.

"RO!" He called out to her. He ran back around the tracks, heading for the ladder on the side of the tracks.

"Hey, where are you going?" Nick called out to him.

"To get Ro! Turn that goddamned alarm off, y'all!" He yelled back. He pushed his way through the horde and made his way to the ladder. "Go!"

Nick started to back away while Ellis stood and watched fearfully after his teammate. He felt Nick tug on his hand. "Overalls, let's go. You heard what he told us."

Ellis turned and nodded at him quickly, eyes full of worry.

They ran up another hill and through a small tunnel, holdig back what infected clawed after them. The control station was now in sight and Nick made a A-Line straight for it. Ellis trailed closely behind him, gripping the stained material of his blazer as to not get seperated again.

Nick reached the switch and turned the alarm off. The horde stopped coming, but the nearby zombies were still lingering. Ellis turned to look for Coach and Rochelle and saw that Coach had reached her now. He shot the smoker and caught her small, petite frame before it could tumble to the ground below.

Nick and Ellis covered him while he made his way back to them, Rochelle slung over his broad shoulder.

"Thank god..." Ellis breathed out in relief once he saw that his teammates were okay.

They hurried into the saferoom, shutting the door and locking the remaining zombies out. Nick shot the few remaining from inside the saferoom. Coach laid Rochelle's unconcious form on the floor. A purple ring was already making its way around her neck and he was pretty sure that her ribs were probably bruised from the force of the smoker's tongue.

Nick backed to where Ellis was and they both sunk down the side of the wall at the same time with a shaky breath. Ellis turned to smile at Nick, still trying to catch his breath. "Close one, there."

"Fuck yeah." Nick breathed back. He grabbed the mechanic's hand and laced his fingers in with his, grateful for the closeness he shared with the kid. It made the moment all too much better to know that he still had someone to hold onto.

Of cours he'd never admit that out loud and still doubted whether or not it was good thing to be in love with someone like Ellis, but decided that now just wasn't the time to be thinking about that.

He relished in this moment, wanting to make it last as long as he could.

x

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**Hmmm...is this the longest chapter I've done for this story...?**

**Yeah...I'm pretty sure it is...**

_**Neutron Star Collision (Love is Forever)**_** by **_**MUSE**_** is my official NickxEllis song for now...BUT I FUCKING HATE TWILIGHT! So don't think just because thats my NickxEllis song that I'm gonna be taking anything from that piece of shit movie/book.**

**LISTEN TO IT, Y'ALL! Oh, and **_**please **_**review.**


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